Pulwama attack: An influential American lawmaker has endorsed India's move to diplomatically isolate Pakistan after Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) carried out a terrorist attack in Pulwama in which our country lost 40 Indian security personnel. Republican Congressman Rick Perry, on the floor of the US House of Representatives, was quoted as saying, "We mourn the victims of this act of terror and call for continued action against any nation to include Pakistan that harbour terrorists and promotes violent extremism." "India has announced its plans to diplomatically isolate Pakistan and cancelled its preferential trade status. We support these efforts," he added. "To the nation of India, we mourn with you, we pray for you and we stand in solidarity with you during this difficult time," Perry said.

Forty Central Reserve Police Force personnel were killed in a suicide attack by Pakistan-based JeM in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama district on February 14, sparking outrage in the country. Following the terror attack, India bombed and destroyed JeM's biggest training camp in Balakot in Pakistan's restive Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province which is about 80-km from the Line of Control (LoC) early on Tuesday, killing a "very large number" of terrorists, trainers and senior commanders.

This prompted jubilation from many people in Delhi, with the North Delhi mayor along with a group of people from the area's civic body celebrating it and some autorickshaw drivers distributing sweets. The strike was the first by the IAF inside Pakistan after the 1971 war.

Later on Tuesday night, the Indian Army destroyed five Pakistani posts along the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir in a befitting retaliation to firing from across the border, resulting in a "number of casualties" to Pak troops, a defence official said. The Pak troops were also seen firing mortars and missiles from civilian houses, using villagers as human shields. However, the Indian Army targeted the Pak posts away from civilian areas, the PRO said, adding that this resulted in a "number of casualties" to Pak troopers.